Book #50: How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table

Title: How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table
Author: Russ Parsons

Russ Parsons instructs the world on how to pick and store good produce. Then he gives some recipes for how to prepare it.

I've heard a ton of buzz about How to Pick a Peach over the last few months. I've heard Russ Parsons on the radio, railing against such hypocrisies as (gasp!) refrigerating tomatoes and potatoes! There was a lot of interesting stuff in How to Pick a Peach (particularly the chapter on the two peach growers who pick ripe, rather than rock-hard peaches and have cult following in California farmers' markets). However, I was left with the feeling that having perfect produce is an unattainable goal for most Americans. I went grocery shopping yesterday. The tomatoes were cold, the the broccoli overwatered and browning, and the peaches rock-hard. I'd recommend this book to help you feel good about yourself if you live in California and can eat a plethora of great produce in season. Otherwise, skip it-- you might end up too depressed to eat anything but hot fudge sundaes (those are always in season) for a while.